Lahinch

Addie’s comeback, Apple update, new Irish restaurants and another retail bankruptcy

April 21, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

Addie’s heading to Park Potomac

Addie’s, the beloved Rockville restaurant that closed its doors three years ago, is making plans for a comeback. Owners Jeff and Barbara Black have signed a lease for 4,000 square feet at Park Potomac, where they’ll try to recreate the old Addie’s magic with indoor/outdoor seating and some of their original menu items. The Blacks, who own a half-dozen restaurants including BlackSalt, Black’s Bar & Kitchen and Black Market Bistro, have said they closed Addie’s primarily because the little yellow building was in such disrepair. That issue also caused delays for their successor, D.C. caterer Helen Wasserman, who spent two years on renovations before opening Helen’s Bar & Grill just last week. For more on Helen’s, click here for our April 7th edition.

New closing date for the Apple Store: May 7th

The Apple Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall has pushed back its closing by a week, setting May 7th as the new date for the start of its expansion in the Macy’s wing. Apple is taking over the space formerly occupied by BCBG and Teavana, with a reopening planned for this fall. The neighboring Sephora store also is expanding this summer, but in Sephora’s case the current store will remain open while the new one’s under construction across the hall. For more on these and other changes to the Macy’s wing, click here for our April 4th special edition.

Two Irish openings

It’s a month too late for St. Patrick’s Day, but two new Irish restaurants have opened their doors in the Rockville/Potomac area. Lahinch, from the owners of the Irish Inn at Glen Echo, offers a menu of Irish and American dishes in the former Benny’s space at Cabin John Shopping Center. And over at Rockville Town Square, Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub has opened for business at the Gibbs Street space formerly occupied by Carbon Peruvian Chicken.

Another sports store files Chapter 11

In the wake of last month’s Chapter 11 filing for Sports Authority, this week we noted the bankruptcy of Delaware-based Vestis Retail Group, parent to Eastern Mountain Sports, Sport Chalet and Bob’s Stores. None of those chains had a presence in Montgomery County (although Eastern Mountain does have a store in Virginia), but this latest bankruptcy suggests that the shakeout of big-box sporting goods stores isn’t over yet. In our area we’ve also seen the demise of City Sports (which lasted just a year at Pike & Rose before the whole chain filed Chapter 11) and local retailer Hudson Trail Outfitters, which closed all of its stores last fall.

Irish update, Teavana competitor, Mosaic Café, Subway and Sports Authority

March 3, 2016 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

New Irish restaurants will likely miss St. Patrick’s Day

If you were hoping to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day at one of our new local Irish restaurants, you may be out of luck. Lahinch, which was scheduled to open this month in the former Benny’s space at Cabin John Shopping Center, has run into the usual construction delays. “Unfortunately, it looks like we won’t be open for St. Patrick’s Day,” says owner Barry Nolan, who also operates the Irish Inn at Glen Echo. “We’ll know more in a week.” (For more on Nolan and his plans for Lahinch, click here for our Oct. 29th issue.) Also missing out on St. Patrick’s Day crowds is Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub, a new venture from local entrepreneurs that originally was supposed to open last fall at Rockville Town Square. No word yet on the timetable for that one.

Restaurant returning to French roots

Mosaic Cuisine & Café, the Rockville Pike restaurant that closed for renovations after the holidays, is scheduled to reopen by Easter with a new name, modernized decor, a bar showcasing French wines and a renewed focus on classic French cuisine. “What’s old is new again,” says owner Thierry Jugnet, who opened Mosaic in 2003 and also operates the Wicked Waffle chain. The newly named Mosaic Bistro will showcase dishes like beef bourguignon, rack of veal, chicken paprika and traditional French soups. “It’s difficult nowadays to find a truly French restaurant,” Jugnet says. “And I don’t just mean in Rockville — I defy you to find a great beef bourguignon in Washington, D.C. Nobody does these things anymore. I am French. And I am betting on going back to my roots.”

David’s Tea heading to the mall?

David’s Tea, a Montreal-based company with a large fan following, appears poised to make its Maryland debut at Westfield Montgomery Mall. Details haven’t been announced yet and the mall couldn’t confirm, but David’s has posted job listings for employees at that location. David’s, which made its initial public offering last year, has announced long-term plans for 550 stores in the U.S. and Canada. At the mall, it would compete directly with the Starbucks-owned Teavana store and the independent shop Rumi Tea & Spice, both of which similarly sell fresh tea and tea-making equipment. We’ll let you know when David’s is a done deal.

Size matters

Things haven’t been going so well for Subway lately. First there was the whole Jared mess. Then came this week’s news that the fast-food chain has settled a class action lawsuit charging that its “footlong” sandwiches didn’t always measure up. As part of the settlement, Subway has promised that its franchisees will now use a tool to accurately measure their bread loaves. If you bought a Subway sandwich over the years and were hoping to benefit from this settlement, we’re sorry to report that your only reward will be a properly sized footlong with your next order. No money is being awarded to the class, and the Associated Press reports that the 10 plaintiffs received only $500 each. Their lawyers, on the other hand, got more than half a mil.

Win March movie tickets for the ArcLight

This month we have one more set of ArcLight Cinema tickets to give away — and you have one more chance to vote for your favorite kids’ businesses in the Rockville/Potomac area. To enter, just click here to send us a note about your favorite places for dining, shopping, birthday parties and just hanging with your kids. Or enter via our Facebook page by clicking here. Everyone who sends us suggestions will be entered into our latest ArcLight drawing.

Chapter 11 for Sports Authority

Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week, a move that had been expected after the retailer fell behind on payments toward its debts of more than $1 billion. Sports Authority is expected to stay in business through this process, but the company says it will lay off some 3,400 people and close 140 of its 464 stores across the country. An updated closing list shows that the Rockville store on Rockville Pike and the Gaithersburg store at Rio/Washingtonian Center are expected to remain open. But several other Maryland stores, including a second Gaithersburg location near Lakeforest Mall, will be shutting down. If you’re holding a Sports Authority gift card or store credit, now would be a good time to use it: There’s no telling how long those credits will be honored.

Benny’s update, new local bakery & Cava

December 16, 2015 By Store Reporter Leave a Comment

Irish restaurant hopes to open by St. Patrick’s Day

Lahinch, the new restaurant moving into the Benny’s Bar & Grill space at Cabin John Shopping Center, will not be opening next month as originally planned. Owners Barry Nolan and Chris Hughes say they’re still finalizing their lease, with tentative plans to take over the space on New Year’s Day and open around the end of February. Lahinch, named after a famous golf course in Ireland, will offer a mix of locally sourced American-style dishes and traditional Irish entrées like lamb stew, fish-‘n-chips and corned beef with cabbage. Hughes knows his way around an Irish menu: He opened the Irish Inn at Glen Echo 12 years ago, and before that he ran the Four Provinces pubs in D.C. and Falls Church.

Rockville bakery is fresh out of the oven

Just a few weeks after its opening in downtown Rockville, Lavande Patisserie on North Washington Street is already earning kudos from our readers. The tiny bakery is aiming to be “that neighborhood place where you can always pop in for hand-crafted baked goods and the best coffee you’ve ever had,” says co-owner Andrew Liang, who left an IT career to start the business with mom Julie Yi. Lavande specializes in custom cakes, seasonal breads, sandwiches and desserts; coffees are nitro-brewed and can be infused with the bakery’s signature lavender flavor. Most ingredients are either locally sourced or imported from Europe, like the croissants made from French flour and Valrhona chocolate batons. You can find Lavande at 275 North Washington Street, a few blocks north of Rockville Town Square, in a newly opened shopping center whose other tenants include Kung Fu Tea and Quickway Hibachi.

Cava opens in Olney

Cava Mezze, the restaurant chain that got its start on Traville Gateway Drive almost a decade ago, opens its fifth location today (12/17) in Olney at 3122 Olney Sandy Spring Road. The new place features a 20-seat bar with a focus on D.C.-area breweries and quirky cocktails like the Rabbit Hole, made with fresh juiced carrots, apple, ginger and bourbon. The restaurant also will highlight some exclusive menu items from chef/owner Dimitri Moshovitis, including a pork souvlaki entrée with orange herb gremolata. Cava Mezze is the big sister to the quick-serve and fast-expanding Cava Grill chain, as well as Sugo at Park Potomac and Brusco in Baltimore.

New Safeway opens on the Pike

The Galvan at Twinbrook project took a step forward last week with the opening of its first tenant, a 62,000-square-foot Safeway store along Rockville Pike near the Twinbrook Metro station. Other businesses scheduled to open soon include Smashburger, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, Dunkin’ Donuts, a Pie 360 pizza restaurant and Floyd’s 99 Barbershop. And the Ethan Allen Design Center, which once stood at that spot, will be moving back after two years at a temporary location elsewhere on the Pike.

Benny’s out at Cabin John, Irish Inn takes over — plus O’Donnell’s Market, a Jodi’s winner and a nifty Halloween app

October 29, 2015 By Store Reporter 1 Comment

Irish Inn owners buy Benny’s at Cabin John

Benny’s Bar & Grill closed its doors last weekend after two years in business at Cabin John Shopping Center. But the space won’t be empty for long: The owners of Glen Echo’s Irish Inn are taking over with a new restaurant called Lahinch. “I heard that Benny’s was for sale, and I figured that if I didn’t buy it somebody else would,” says Lahinch co-owner Chris Hughes, a native Irishman who once ran Ireland’s Four Provinces pubs in D.C. and Falls Church. “Benny’s was ideally set up with two rooms, two bars and a stage for us to have live music,” Hughes says. Lahinch, which takes its name from a famous golf course in Ireland, will offer a more casual atmosphere than the Irish Inn with traditional dishes like lamb stew, fish-and-chips and corned beef with cabbage. But the menu will be broader than you might expect. “We’ll specialize in American cuisine using fresh local meats, seafood and produce,” says general manager Barry Nolan. “We’re not your typical Irish pub.” After a few renovations to the Benny’s space, Lahinch is expected to open in mid-January.

O’Donnell’s Market eyes November opening at Potomac Woods

Construction is humming along at the new O’Donnell’s Market, where owner Bill Edelblut hopes to open before Thanksgiving at Potomac Woods Plaza off Montrose and Seven Locks Road. The market will offer fresh meats, fish and seafood plus a salad bar, grab-and-go items, and a bakery stocked with bread, pies and the famous O’Donnell’s rum buns. Edelblut, whose family ran the O’Donnell’s Sea Grill restaurant chain for almost 100 years, says he thought about taking it easy after selling his last restaurant in The Kentlands two years ago. “But it turned out that 18 months of retirement was enough,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to do a market where people can buy something to take home rather than going out to dinner. We’ll have some products that are pre-cooked, and some that are raw and come with heating instructions. And people will be able to just call up and say, ‘Hey, Bill — cook me a lobster and two crab cakes, and I’ll be there in 20 minutes to pick it up.'”

Who won the gift card for Jodi’s Jamboree?

Congratulations to Store Reporter reader Abby Signer Gleicher, who won our $50 gift card for Jodi’s Jamboree. Abby’s daughter will have her pick of jewelry, pajama pants, monogrammed robes, personalized rain jackets, sweatshirts and much more from the teen-oriented Rockville business. You’ll find a booth full of Jodi’s merchandise at the upcoming Washington Hebrew Congregation Holiday Boutique, Nov. 15th-17th at the Bindeman Center on Falls Road.

Walgreens buys Rite Aid

This week Walgreens announced plans to buy Rite Aid in $17.2 billion transaction that’s expected to close next year. The deal could have a direct impact on Potomac Village, where Walgreens and Rite Aid have stores right across the street from each other — and one would be likely to close. Walgreens currently has more stores than any other U.S. drug chain, but rival CVS — which recently announced plans to take over Target’s in-store pharmacies — does a bigger business in dollar volume. The Rite-Aid acquisition would potentially give Walgreens greater purchasing power to cut deals with its suppliers and possibly offer better prices to its customers.

Can Target trick you into buying more candy?

If you’re taking the kids out for Halloween this Saturday, Target has a new trick for your cell phone. Treatster, which launched this week, is a crowd-sourced mobile app that allows its users to rate the best Halloween houses in their neighborhoods. The app uses a pumpkin image that constantly changes sizes as it’s up-voted or down-voted by trick-or-treaters on the move. Here in the Rockville/Potomac area, we all know plenty of little trick-or-treaters who already have their own cell phones. But we wonder if this app is really a just clever way of getting the parents to buy more candy — at Target of course — to make sure they get the best pumpkin rating on the block.